Poland investigates activities of almost a hundred agricultural companies suspected of fraud with Ukrainian grain - media
Kyiv • UNN
The Polish prosecutor's office is investigating 75 local companies that imported Ukrainian grain as technical grain and sold it as food. Charges have been brought against 17 people, most of whom are Polish citizens.
An investigation is underway in Poland into at least 75 local companies that imported grain from Ukraine as technical grain and sold it as food or feed. This was stated in the regional prosecutor's office in Rzeszow, writes Rzeczpospolita, reports UNN.
Details
According to Polish law enforcement, the fraud took place in 2022-2023. It is noted that in 2022 alone, 101 thousand tons of technical grain were imported from Ukraine to Poland, and the total volume of Ukrainian grain for 16 months exceeded 4.3 million tons.
The first searches in the grain fraud case took place in Poland in June 2023, when investigative actions were conducted simultaneously in 222 Polish companies.
At the same time, the prosecutor's office emphasizes that the object of the investigation is companies registered in Poland. There are no Ukrainian companies, but there are Ukrainian citizens as representatives of these companies.
Law enforcement officials admit that most of the suspects in the investigation are Polish citizens, but also Ukrainian citizens and an Estonian citizen,
In total, 17 people have been charged in the case of fraud with Ukrainian grain.
Addendum
The newspaper added that the Polish government has not made public the list of importers who have been buying Ukrainian grain.
Despite promises, the government has not decided to make the list of importers public - the official reason is legal obstacles
Nevertheless, he emphasized that society is well aware of the names of those who earned millions of zlotys on Ukrainian grain.
Context
In winter, there were numerous protests by farmers throughout Poland, who, in particular, blocked roads, highways and checkpoints on the border with Ukraine.
Farmers opposed the influx of Ukrainian goods, as well as European policies related to the so-called Green Deal.
Recall
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Michal Kolodziejczak acknowledged that after Warsaw's embargo on Ukrainian agricultural products, grain from Ukraine is transiting through Poland and is not imported into the country.
